About Chinese HSK1
HSK 1 is the beginner tier of the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi — the standardised Chinese proficiency test recognised by employers and universities worldwide. HSK 1 covers 150 vocabulary words and the most basic grammar patterns, which is the minimum needed to introduce yourself, order food, and hold a simple conversation in Mandarin. Every entry in LangOria's HSK 1 deck shows simplified characters with pinyin and a real example sentence from the Tatoeba corpus. Mastering HSK 1 is the foundation for HSK 2 and beyond.
All 148 words at HSK1
Click any word to see its full breakdown: reading, translation, and a real example word.
HSK 1 vocabulary in example sentences
See how each word is actually used before you memorise it. Tap the speaker to hear the pronunciation.
Practise this vocabulary
How to study Chinese HSK1
Spend your first 4-6 weeks on HSK 1. The 45–65-minute daily loop is enough — review the HSK 1 deck with spaced repetition until your recall rate is above 90%, then move on to HSK 2. Tone pairs are critical at HSK 1: train them with the audio shadowing drills, not just by memorising tone marks. By the end of HSK 1 you should recognise all 150 words on sight and be able to introduce yourself in Mandarin.
Common questions about Chinese HSK1
How many words do I need for HSK 1?
150. It is the smallest official deck in the ladder — roughly two weeks of the daily loop — and covers greetings, numbers, family and simple sentences.
Should I learn tones from HSK 1 onwards?
Absolutely. Tones are part of the word, not decoration on it — learning them late means relearning every word twice. Each card plays native audio so you anchor the tone with the meaning from day one.